


The Right Thing

by skargasm



Series: The Right Thing [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Friend Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, F/M, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death, Murder Husbands, Post-Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Revenge, True Alpha, True Alpha Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Warning: Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:40:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24757927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm
Summary: Peter Hale has returned to Beacon Hills, the place where almost his entire Pack was murdered in cold-blood. He’s spent the last five years imprisoned by the Calaveras clan, but now he’s out and determined to find out just who killed his family and how he can get to them. He’s determined to do the right thing – in the name of his Pack.Stiles Stilinski is tired of Beacon Hills. The people he should be able to rely on have consistently let him down, and he’s about ready to give in to the voice inside him that says living by other people’s rules isn’t for him.A man and a werewolf with a different view of what constitutes doing the right thing meet and make things right together.
Relationships: Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Chris Argent/Derek Hale, Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: The Right Thing [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786150
Comments: 87
Kudos: 531





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mephistopholes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mephistopholes/gifts), [Readingrainbowz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readingrainbowz/gifts).



The music wasn’t to his taste, but the view was. He sat at the bar, sipping at his Hennessey whisky, watching the variety of young men gyrating on the dance-floor. It had been some time since he had indulged himself – he had been intent on reaching the territory as quickly as possible and had driven hard. But now that he was on the outskirts, he could afford a little distraction. 

His eyes tracked the room until his gaze was captured by one particular young man. Pale skinned, tall and lithe, he danced as if fighting off personal demons. The young man had a small selection of admirers but didn’t seem particularly enamoured of any of them – he wasn’t dressed to impress or to garner attention. Jeans and a dark tank. But there was something that made it hard to look away now that he’d been seen. 

Draining his glass, Peter got to his feet.

He strode across the dance-floor, bodies shifting out of his way as if subconsciously aware that a predator was in their midst so that he swiftly reached his target. Without preamble, he slid behind him, matching the smooth movements, hand sliding over a hip covered in tight denim. His target barely noticed his appearance, slipping into his rhythm as though they were one body. 

The music turned to something Peter found more appealing, driving bass, a pounding rhythm. He’s feeling nothing but the body against his own, the smooth movements of hips in sync with his own until clothing doesn’t matter – they might as well be fucking each other on the dance-floor in front of everyone.

* * *

Stiles grunted as he landed against the side of the bathroom cubicle, putting his hands out to prevent himself from hitting his face. The man behind him is tugging at his jeans, grunting with the effort it’s taking to tug them down. Stiles ripped open his belt and unbuttoned and unzipped the jeans hastily, wriggling his hips in the small space afforded to him to push the heavy denim down so that his ass is bared. 

Behind him, he heard the man hit the floor, the sudden roughness of his beard scraping on the soft skin of Stiles’ ass as he sucks and bites the cheeks. 

“Jesus Christ – enough! Just – fuck me!”

“As you wish, sweetheart.” The voice is rough and husky, as though the man isn’t used to speaking. Stiles refused to care – he just needs to feel. Tomorrow, he’ll go back to caring, being a decent citizen. Tonight he just needs the rough slide of flesh on flesh, the impatient hands working to open him up just enough so that it doesn’t hurt too much when he’s entered. 

“Fuck!” Their combined weight thudded rhythmically against the walls, the hefty thrust inside him everything he needed. A hand grabbed his hair and pulled his face around so that they could kiss, a fierce battle of tongues. He closed his eyes, finally able to find the hush in his brain.

* * *


	2. Introductions

Peter woke to the sound of the shower being turned on, momentarily disorientated. He rolled over in the bed and stretched, enjoying the aches and pains of a night of excess. He couldn’t quite believe that he’d brought the young man back to his hotel room with him – normally, one such encounter would have been enough. But he hadn’t been satisfied – even as he pulled out and watched his spend splatter the pale cheeks, hearing the exhausted gasps coming from his companion, he had wanted more.

It had taken little to convince him to come back to the hotel – holding him to the cubicle wall with a hand encircling his neck while he kissed away his protests had not exactly been a hardship. And having more space available, more room to spread out that lithe, flexible body had been _extremely_ rewarding. He had spent over an hour tracing every mole that decorated the pale skin; had spanked that pert ass until the man screamed out for more; had unleashed more of his animal side than he could recall in the last half-decade – there was definitely something about the man that he wanted to explore. 

But that wasn’t why he had returned to Beacon Hills, and however pleasurable the time had been, he needed to move forward with his plans. If he survived them, maybe he would try to track the man down again? Although to do that, it would probably be a good idea to find out his name.

The sound of the bathroom door opening caught his attention and he sat up in the bed, watching as his companion walked into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist, another rubbing vigorously at his hair.

“Hope you didn’t mind me making use of your shower.” 

“Not a problem.” Getting to his feet, Peter walked over so that he stood behind him. Fingerprint bruises encircled his hips, hickeys and other marks all over his body, decorating his pale skin. Peter held back a growl when the man turned and began to pull on his clothing, hiding the various bruises that he had inflicted the night before. He enjoyed seeing his marks, clear evidence of what they had got up to. “I hope those don’t hurt too much.”

“What, these? Nah – souvenirs of a night well spent. Don’t worry – you didn’t give yourself away.”

Peter stiffened before forcing himself to relax. 

“Give what away?”

“If I hadn’t already been in the know, I wouldn’t know.” The man gave a bitter laugh. “If you know, you know.”

Peter’s mind raced as he tried to think what he might have revealed about himself last night. His intelligence gatherers had been quite thorough, but he couldn’t recall mention of someone knowing about the supernatural that would match the man he was watching get dressed. 

“Do I get to know your name?”

“Are we pretending this is more than a one-night thing? I was surprised enough when you persuaded me to come back here, man, let alone expecting a repeat.” 

“I merely asked your name.”

The man turned, giving Peter an assessing look. “It’s Stiles – people call me Stiles.” He glanced behind Peter to the laptop that was on the dresser. “Now – fancy telling me why you’re surveying Kate Argent?”

* * *

Kate pressed the accelerator, pushing the car to its’ limits. There was little excitement – the car had not been altered or enhanced in any way and the highways in Beacon Hills weren’t even a remote challenge to her driving skills. She scowled as she slowed down for the turning to the Argent Complex, bored as she drove through the gates after the security check. She parked the car and walked into the house.

“Where have you been?”

“I just went for a drive.”

“Kate – I _specifically_ told you not to leave the complex. What you did was reckless and dangerous and – “

“Nothing more than you’ve done in the past, Dad. For goodness sake – so I killed a werewolf. Big deal. She wasn’t even a challenge, not really.”

Walking past her father, Kate went into the living room and headed straight to the drinks cabinet. She poured herself a generous measure of vodka and threw in a couple of pieces of ice, deliberately taking her time because she knew it aggravated her father.

“I know that you’re chafing – “

“Why do I have to follow all of these god-damned rules?”

“She was an Alpha – an Alpha we knew! Which meant that we could control certain aspects of life here – she couldn’t turn anyone without us knowing who it was and culling them as and when necessary. Now we don’t know who the Alpha even is – “

“Obviously it’s Derek. And I can get to him – anytime I want.”

“It’s not Derek – that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. So – there’s another Hale alive out there and we don’t know which one or where they are. I hate to say it, but perhaps it’s time to be more cautious in our dealings.”

“Are you trying to neuter me, turn me into another useless eunuch like Chris? He’s such a limp dick, I’m surprised he and Victoria ever managed to have Allison – “

“Enough! I won’t have you talking like that! Show some restraint or I’ll rein you in personally, do you understand?”

“Yes, father.”

* * *

Stiles didn’t resist when he was shoved into the wall, breathing shallow as the hand around his throat tightened slowly.

“If you know what I am, you also know that it wouldn’t take any effort whatsoever to end your life here and now. What do you know about Kate Argent?”

“I know she’s the reason my father’s lying in a coma, unlikely to ever come out of it. I know she had something to do with a major fire here over five years ago and that she murdered a whole household of people. I know my friend, Derek, goes pale and distant whenever her name is mentioned. I know she comes from a long line of hunters. I know that I haven’t been able to get close enough to slit her throat but given the opportunity, I would love to do so. Are you going to let me breathe now?”

“You mentioned your friend?”

“Yeah, Derek. He and I kinda bonded over the shit-show of our lives.”

“Where is he?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because I thought he was dead.”

“Holy shit, you’re Peter!” Ignoring the hand that still loosely encircled his throat, Stiles reached out and traced Peter’s facial features. “I can see it now – you both have that death scowl thing going on. He’s prettier but you’ve got some dark beauty going for you too. What do you look like under that beard?” 

“Jesus, Stiles, do you have no sense of self-preservation?” Stiles shrugged, still intent on taking in every detail of Peter that he could. Last night had been about sex – now it was something else. 

“I can’t help it – I would have thought last night would have taught you I like things a little rough.” He saw Peter’s gaze drop down to the evidence that Stiles was enjoying being up close and personal, even through the heavy texture of his jeans. “Besides, if you were gonna kill me, you’d have done it already.”

“And just why should I trust you? Just because you _say_ you’d like to slit Kate’s throat doesn’t mean you’d actually go through with it.”

“So you **DO** plan to go after them!” Peter cursed, releasing Stiles from his grip and stepping back. Stiles took the opportunity to rearrange his trousers so that they weren’t strangling his half-hard dick, then tucked in his shirt and stepped away from the wall. 

“This isn’t something you want to get involved in.”

“You can’t do it alone.”

“And why not?”

“Because the Argent’s compound is damned near impenetrable – I know, I’ve tried. Is it just Kate you’re after?” Peter gave him a considering look before grabbing the laptop and gesturing to Stiles to get onto the bed.

“No – I have a list.”

“Where were you anyway? I know you were meant to be at the house when Kate burned it down – they thought they got all of you, apart from Laura and Derek. I know because I heard them say it.”

“Laura’s alive?”

“She was.”

“When?”

“Why do I get the feeling you know _exactly_ when?” Stiles watched as Peter confirmed his suspicions and flashed ruby red eyes. “Damn! That was when Derek realised that you were alive – he felt Laura die but he didn’t get the spark.”

“He didn’t know I was alive?”

“None of them did, from what I can gather. Something about you disappearing in Mexico – you weren’t dead but they couldn’t find you. If it helps any, Talia tried.”

“Obviously not hard enough.” Peter sounded bitter.

“Well I can’t speak to that – I wasn’t really around your family then. I didn’t know about all of this supernatural stuff back when the fire happened.”

“So what changed that?” 

“My friend, Scott, was bitten by a rogue alpha.”

“Rough – especially with no resident alpha to help him out.”

“He got help – so much help. I tried to be there for him, find out what I could. I tracked down Derek and Laura and tried to get Scott to work with them.”

“What happened?”

“He didn’t like Derek telling him what to do – was fine with Deaton doing it though. Then his eyes changed one night and suddenly Deaton’s all about Scott being a True Alpha and how the territory should be his.”

“A True Alpha? What the fuck is that?”

“That’s what I said! But Deaton didn’t like me questioning him, convinced Scott that having a _weak_ human around wasn’t safe. Next thing I know, I’m being completely cut out of everything, like I wasn’t the one helping Scott from the very beginning.” Stiles knew he sounded bitter but he didn’t care – it had hurt when Scott decided to listen to Deaton instead of his best friend. Then, when Deaton got fed up of Stiles asking questions, he was pushed out allegedly for his safety. He could even have coped with that but – “If I’d known what bullshit Deaton was feeding Scott, maybe I could have stopped my Dad from investigating what and when he did, and even prevented him getting shot. Fucking Deaton said it just went to show that it wasn’t safe for humans and Scott believed him. So, my Dad’s dying and I’ve lost my best friend. All fine and good using his wolf powers to get popular at school, get the girl – but protect my Dad? Not so much.”

“I’m sorry about your Dad. Is there any hope whatsoever?”

“I asked Scott to bite him but he refused – said my Dad was too old.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“Yeah. And a True Alpha has to use his powers carefully.”

“There you go with that True Alpha nonsense again. There’s no such thing – believe me, I’d know.”

“So how come Scott’s an alpha then?”

“Probably the wolf that bit him died – it’s fairly simple to figure out. Not sure why Deaton is feeding your friend this special alpha shit.”

“Probably to keep Scott tied to him.” Without asking for permission, Stiles took hold of the laptop and looked through the data that Peter was working from. “You’ve pinpointed the same thing I did – the one time she’s vulnerable.”

“Are you sure this is something you want to get involved in? Things could get bloody.”

“Will you bite my Dad? If you make it through this, I mean?”

“Stiles – “

“He’s dying. The worst that’s going to happen is that he dies from rejecting the bite. At least it would give him a chance.”

“Fine. You help me get rid of the Argents and anyone involved in the fire and I’ll bite your Dad. And you get me a meeting with Derek – I want to know what part he played in things before I decide what to do about him.”

“This list of yours – can I add to it?” 

“Bloodthirsty little bastard, aren’t you?”

“Not really – I just think if you’re cleaning up Beacon Hills and I’m helping you, we might as well do a thorough job.”

“Talking about killing someone is one thing – actually doing it – “

“Who do you think it was that killed the rogue that bit Scott? I didn’t know that’s who it was but it makes a sick sort of sense now.”

“How did you kill it?”

“Molotov cocktail and a big-ass knife. I needed to be sure he was dead – I didn’t want it at my back.”

“Where did you kill it?”

“Near the Argent’s compound. I was checking them out and apparently, he was doing the same. He didn’t like me being there and tried to convince me to leave. I convinced him that I deserved to stay.” Stiles shrugged, well aware that the tale made him sound like a psychopath. His desire to get revenge against the Argents superseded everything out – being unable to rely on his best friend for help in getting justice meant that he had realised he had to be at the very least, morally grey. 

“I wonder what it says about me that the thought of you setting a fellow werewolf on fire then slitting his throat makes me so hard.” Stiles smirked, taking in the desire evident in Peter’s eyes.

“I’d say it means our kinks seem to match, but hey, what do I know? Vulnerable little human here, just waiting to be the prey to a big bad wolf.”

“Do you want me to eat you up, Stiles?”

“Fuck going to work – let’s seal this deal.” Shoving the laptop to the floor, Stiles pushed Peter back onto the bed, holding onto his hand. “Change it.” Peter looked at him through slitted ruby-red eyes for a moment before slowly allowing his fingers to change to claws. With slow, deliberate moves, Stiles took the hand and traced the claws slowly down his throat, across his chest and hardened nipples and down towards his pants. “Maybe I’ll be the one to eat you up.”

* * *


	3. Dangerous Liaisons

”If you’re not going to tell them – I can’t keep doing this.”

Chris turned as Derek came out of the bathroom, the solemn look on the young man’s face giving him pause. 

“It’s not that simple, Derek – you know – “

“Yeah, yeah, I know – if your father wasn’t a xenophobic asshole; if your sister wasn’t a murdering whore; if you hadn’t agreed to stay married to Victoria until Allison was eighteen! I’m tired of waiting, Chris. I love you but – “

Chris strode over to Derek, paying no mind to the water dripping onto his clothes. 

“Look, Derek, please – I just – I need a little more time – “

“Like 15 months until Allison is 18?”

“No. Victoria is the least of my worries. My father – Kate – Derek, I’m really concerned about your safety. I thought they were happy just being back in Beacon Hills but – there have been reports.”

“What reports?”

“I saw paperwork I don’t think I was meant to see. And I wasn’t sure how to tell you because – because I didn’t want to lose you.” Derek pulled away from Chris, going to the side of the bed and beginning to dress. “Please, Derek – give me a chance to explain.”

“Explain what? That I’ve just been a bit on the side for you? That I’m just an animal with no feelings? I thought you were different from the rest of your family – “

“I think Kate was the one who killed Laura! And there was another werewolf found dead just outside the grounds – it had been burned to death and its throat was slit.”

“Jesus Christ!” Derek fell to a sitting position on the bed and Chris moved to sit next to him.

“I think Kate might be losing whatever mind she has left. She’s not listening to my father – she’s completely out of control!”

“She killed Laura?”

“I think so. Against my father’s orders. And I think she plans to eradicate all werewolves from Beacon Hills. I can’t get access to her files or anything, otherwise, I could see if she’s calling in reinforcements but – I don’t think she has any regard for law enforcement either.”

“Are you saying she’s the one who shot Sheriff Stilinski? You said hunters wouldn’t risk – “

“I know what I said! But she’s getting more and more brazen in her attitude. Is there anyone in town you trust, anywhere you could stay?”

“No, no one – although – no, I don’t want to drag him into this.”

“Who?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“What about Deaton? Wouldn’t it be within his Emissary duties to help you?”

“He’s moved on to Scott McCall – I don’t think he views himself as the Hale Emissary any longer.” Derek dropped forward, resting his head on Chris’s chest. “Maybe it’s time I left Beacon Hills. I thought – if Uncle Peter was still alive, received the Hale Alpha spark – that he would come home, and I wanted him to know some of his pack was still here. But – he hasn’t turned up, and – there’s nothing for me here.”

“I selfishly want to believe that I’m a good reason to stay, but I don’t want you risking your life. I can help you – with money or – “

“Are you trying to make the boy feel more of a whore than you already have Christopher?”

“Uncle Peter!” “Peter!”

“Were you planning on killing his last living relative, Chris?” Chris realised his hand had automatically gone to where he normally kept his gun. Lifting them so that Peter could see them both clearly, he stood up from the bed and moved to a chair on the far side of the room. 

“I’m sorry – I don’t like to be taken by surprise.”

“Then perhaps you two should consider locking your hotel door room and also argue a little quieter? I would imagine if your father or sister decided they wanted to spy on you, that you’ve made it rather easy.” Chris watched as Derek stood to stare, still in shock. “No hug for me, nephew?”

“Is it – where were – “

“Explanations can wait – come here, Derek – it’s been far too long since I scented pack.” Taking advantage of their lack of attention, Chris pulled his clothes on quickly, feeling better once fully dressed. 

“So – you and Chris, huh?”

“How come you smell like Stiles?”

“Interesting story, that. Should we order room service and talk? Chris – it would be helpful if you would stay.”

“Why? I can’t imagine there’s a good reason why you would want me around.”

“Because I gave my sister my word when her children were born that I would do everything I could to look out for them. And if that means putting up with you and helping Derek find his happily ever after, then so be it.”

Chris squinted at Peter, taking in all of the changes. The Peter Hale he had seen last had been insolent, cocky, annoying and a little brash. But he hadn’t had the hard edges to him that this man had. Wherever Peter had been, it hadn’t been voluntary and it hadn’t been nice. Before he disappeared, Peter was more often to be found in suits in even the most casual settings, suave, sophisticated and the epitome of a playboy. The fact that he had been an extremely successful lawyer, with a reputation as a bit of a shark, had added to the whole insouciant attitude. Now he looked more likely to start a brawl in a biker bar: heavy beard, slightly wild hair, tight v-neck shirt and well-worn denim. This look suited him too – it was just an adjustment.

“And again – I don’t see why you would want me around. I would have thought you would want me as far away from Derek as you could get me.”

“Well, I also think you’ll be extremely handy to have around for when I kill your father and your sister – inside knowledge and all that.”

* * *

”Stiles! STILES! Hey, wait up man.” Stiles cursed under his breath before turning to see his former best friend running towards him.

“What do you want, Scott?”

“I wanted to ask how your Dad’s doing.”

“Why the hell would you care? You had your chance to help and refused – remember?”

“Why do you smell like a wolf?” Stiles pushed Scott away from him when he tried to step closer, sniffing the air.

“None of your damned business! Now, I ask again – what do you want?”

“Stiles – we were best buddies. Are you really that bitter about things that we can’t get past this?”

“Get past what? You got bitten, you got popular, you got turned into an alpha, you turned into an asshole. I don’t see anything to get past!”

“It’s for your own safety! You throw yourself into stuff and you could get hurt – I’m just trying to look out for you, Stiles. Deaton says – “

“If I have to listen to yet another pompous lecture about what Deaton says, I may well stab myself in the ears until my eardrums pop!”

“STILES!”

“What? Can you not see what’s happening to the town? You and Deaton keep going on about how a True Alpha is meant to make a difference, protect the citizens of their territory. If you’re doing such a great job, how come it’s not safe for little old me to walk around? Either you’re doing your job or you’re not.”

“It’s not that simple – “

“What are you doing about the Argents?”

“Allison’s family? What should I be doing about them? I mean, her Mom doesn’t like me much but – “

“Wake up, Scott! That compound they’ve built outside Beacon Hills isn’t normal! They’re like an army of hunters and you’re doing nothing about the fact that they’re setting up base in Beacon Hills! It’s like you’re being willfully blind – who else could be responsible for my Dad getting shot? And please don’t trot out that ridiculous excuse that it was a drifter who ran away when he realised what he’d done! He was shot with a high calibre, expensive weapon – just like the ones the Argents have on their compound! You can’t seem to see past the end of your nose! What – does Allison have a magic cunt that makes you lose your brain cells?” He should have expected the back-hand that sent him flying backwards, the impact as he hit the ground causing a loud grunt to escape from him.

“Stiles! Jesus – I’m sorry – I shouldn’t have – I lost my temper with what you said about Allison – “ Scott tried to help him to his feet, but Stiles pushed his hands away, standing up unsteadily.

“Get the fuck away from me, man. I got nothing to say to you any longer. You _really_ believe all of this True Alpha bullshit that Deaton is telling you – that you’re special? Just – wake up, Scott. Before it’s too late.” Holding his hand to his aching cheek, Stiles stalked off to the Jeep and tore out of the car park, spraying gravel all over Scott who simply stood watching him go.

* * *


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris learns more about his family than he ever expected..
> 
> * * *

”What the **fuck** happened to your face?” Stiles didn’t struggle when Peter grabbed at his chin, wincing when his fingers strayed to where Scott had caught him on the cheekbone.

“I met Scott while I was visiting my Dad. He didn’t like something I had to say.”

“Motherfucker!” Peter whispered viciously, visibly enraged by the damage and hurt that had been caused, eyes flickering red. 

“Are you gonna let me in? And tell me why we’re in the same hotel but a different room?” Stiles watched as Peter got himself under control. 

“When you left this morning, I followed my nose. Come in – we’ll get some ice on that.” Peter moved out of the way so Stiles stepped into the room, coming to a sudden halt when he saw the other occupants.

“What the fuck?”

“Stiles – Jesus, what happened to you?” Derek strode over to him, fingertips grazing over the bruise that was forming on his cheek. Once again, Stiles allowed himself to be examined, more than used to Derek’s tactile nature by now. 

“I met Scott – we had words – I’d say we exchanged blows but I didn’t exactly hit him back.” Stiles tilted his head away with a wince, turning to face the other person in the room. “Mr Argent.”

“Stiles.”

“You know each other?”

“Oh yeah – when my best bud started dating his daughter, Mr Argent here made it perfectly plain how he felt about some grubby teenage boy pawing at his daughter. Unfortunately, I was grubby teenage boy adjacent so I got some of the hate too. What are you doing here?” Stiles looked between Chris and Derek, then his gaze was caught by the unmade bed. “You have got to be shitting me – _this_ is who you’ve been meeting?”

“I want to say it’s not like that – “ Derek looked slightly shame-faced and Stiles stroked his shoulder in a comforting fashion. 

“But it most definitely is. So, now we’ve all been apprised as to who’s fucking who, shall we concentrate on a little thing like a minor killing spree?”

* * *

Chris sat and listened to Peter, horrified by the evidence he had managed to acquire as well as some of the atrocities he was accusing the Argents of. The folder he had handed to Chris was a thick tome, full of photocopies of police files, private investigator reports as well as a variety of handwritten notes. It was too thorough to be hearsay – Peter was telling the truth. Even so, Chris felt the need to protest.

“Peter – are you sure all of this – this is so outside of the code – “

“What code?” Stiles was sprawled in a chair near to Peter, holding an ice-cold can of soda against his cheek to bring the swelling down. Peter was sat next to him, draining away the pain.

“The family code states that we hunt those who hunt us.” It was disconcerting seeing Stilinski like this. Chris had dismissed him as merely one of Scott’s friends and had very little to do with him. The boy – man – in front of him was very different. There was a brittle edge to him – no doubt caused by the ill health of his father – but he seemed extremely comfortable with Peter. Chris found himself wondering just how long the two of them had been involved.

“Well, your family seems to have a bit of a lax attitude towards that whole code thing. The Hales were never guilty of hunting anyone – in fact, Talia quite prided herself on being a protector of the town. Much good it did her.”

“Are you saying – the fire – “

“Yes, Chris, your beloved father and sister burned my entire family alive – humans and werewolves alike.”

“There were _humans_ in there?”

“Why is that more of an atrocity to you?”

“I didn’t mean – “

“There were humans – men, women, children – all murdered by your psychotic bitch of a sister at the behest of your father.”

“I can’t take this in – I don’t understand – “

“What’s to understand? We’re little more than animals to them, not even worthy of basic human decency. Do you want to know how your sister got her information on who would be inside and when? How she found out about the tunnels that my family had built to escape just in case of something like this?”

“Peter – “

“She used mountain ash to make sure that the wolves couldn’t get out. But she went further than that – she barricaded every tunnel so that the humans couldn’t get out either. She made sure that _anyone_ in that house couldn’t escape so that they died horribly, either from smoke inhalation or most likely from being burned alive.” Peter spoke with almost casual cruelty, forcing Chris to face the fact that he wasn’t lying. “And do you know just how she got this information?”

“PETER!” Stiles grabbed Peter’s hand, halting his words.

“It was Laura.” Chris turned to look at Derek, his horrified face turning to confusion. 

“What do you mean?”

“Laura told me that – she had realised that she was a lesbian. She was scared to tell Mom – was worried that she wouldn’t take it well. Because she was the alpha heir, she was expected to marry, produce kids – none of that was what she wanted but it was expected.”

“Derek – you don’t have to – “

“No, let him speak! He’s let it poison him inside for too long. You knew, didn’t you Derek? When the fire happened, Laura’s reactions – you knew that she knew who had done it, had been involved somehow.” Peter’s voice was harsh.

“She met someone – an older woman. She thought she was in love, that they had a future together!” Derek protested. 

“Go on – tell us the rest.”

“She needed my help to sneak her in one night – said that Katherine wanted to see where she slept so she could imagine her at night. She made it sound so romantic.”

“How old was Laura?”

“Barely seventeen.”

“You’re telling me that my sister seduced a _child_ for information, then used it to – “

That’s exactly what I’m telling you. And that’s why Kate is number one on my list. It’s time to pony up, Chris – if you’re not with us, then you leave now and you don’t come back.”

“Peter, no!”

“No, Derek – he’s right. I – I shouldn’t know any more about what you’re planning if I’m not committed to – whatever it is.” Chris dry-washed his face with trembling hands, his mind racing. “What about Allison? And Victoria?”

“Allison is safe – Victoria, not so much.”

“Why?”

“Because her family is large enough to take over from the Argents if they so wish. And I want to make sure a hunter never sets foot in this town again.”

* * *

”Scott – it’s completely understandable. Stiles said something extremely insulting and derogatory about someone you care about – of course you lashed out.”

“Yeah, but if I hadn’t pulled my punch at the last moment – I could have really hurt him.”

“But you did pull your punch. You need to give yourself some credit.” Deaton continued working on the kitten on the work-bench, glancing at Scott over his shoulder. “He was fine enough to drive, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Then he can’t have been that hurt. Now – we need to discuss the people you were considering offering the bite to. If you’re going to build a pack, you need to choose wisely.”

“Is Stiles right? About the Argents, I mean? Should I be doing something about them?”

“Why would you do that? At present, they’re keeping the supernatural issue from getting out of hand – they’re helping to protect the area. Once you have a pack – then you can consider if you need to do any clearing up. Now, tell me more about this Lahey boy – “

* * *


	5. The Hunt Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic canon-levels of violence.
> 
> * * *

Kate ran, pushing past branches, breath heavy in her chest. She risked a glance behind her but although she could hear them, she couldn’t see them. She was on their territory, on land they had grown up on and knew better than anyone else ever could.

Another glance behind her and she saw a shadow moving swiftly in her direction. Her mind racing, she wondered why they hadn’t attacked yet – why weren't they pressing their advantage?

She emerged into a clearing, the only thing standing in it the ruins of the Hale House. That was when she knew why they hadn’t done anything up until now. They had deliberately herded her here. 

Panting for breath, she stood in front of the ruins, waiting. She didn’t have to wait for long – two figures emerged from the shadows and she felt fear course through her body. 

The huge beast with the red eyes had to be Peter – terrifying to behold. His body was like no alpha she had ever seen: bipedal, thickly furred, eyes an eerie ruby red in the moonlight. His jaws were grotesquely mutated, rows of huge teeth and fangs that gleamed. 

She should have recognised Derek – she remembered him as Laura’s annoying little brother; she had had zero respect for him as a werewolf because he always seemed so – tame. Not now. Although not as transformed as Peter, he stood in front of her, muscles bulging, not even out of breath. His transformation was not as severe: his facial features were still vaguely recognisable. His eyes were a piercing blue – a shade she knew meant a werewolf felt guilt about a kill – but they appeared merciless now. If he managed to kill her, he would feel no guilt.

Flicking out her baton, she pressed the switch that made it crackle with electricity and prepared to fight for her life. If she lost now, she would never see another tomorrow.

* * *

In unison, they sprang forward, deftly avoiding her swipes with the sizzling baton, batting her between them like a toy. She screamed her rage and hatred at them, spewing profanities and animalistic slurs even as she began to tire. Any hits that made contact were brushed aside, their need for vengeance overcoming the physical pain with ease. 

As had been meticulously planned, they pushed, shoved and manoeuvred her backwards until she was right on the doorstep to what had once been a happy family home. 

She lay panting on the steps, her right arm useless and hanging from tendons at the shoulder. Her once beautiful face was marred with scars, eye swollen shut, lips bleeding. 

There was no villainous monologue; no need to explain what they planned to do or why. Apart from there being no time to waste on such nonsense, what would be the point? There was no way to change how she viewed them: as lesser than, inhuman.

Peter allowed Derek the killing blow, watching with satisfaction as Kate Argent died the way she had lived: bloodily.

* * *


	6. One down....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kate dead, what happens next?
> 
> * * *

Chris stood in the hallway and listened.

“He’s becoming a liability.”

“Yes.” He heard Victoria sigh. “I really hoped he would come around to our way of thinking but – “

“Is he still indulging that sick fetish of his?”

“Gerard – “

“I refuse to call it anything other than that! He has a perfectly good wife at home in you – why he feels the need to give in to these _urges_ is beyond me and an embarrassment to our family name.”

“What will we tell Allison?”

“You don’t think she deserves to know the truth? That her father fell victim to unnatural desires and died because of it?”

“You plan to blame this on the werewolves?”

“What else? After all, ultimately it **is** their fault. She doesn’t need to know the manner of his death – simply that he is gone. Once his influence has been removed, we should be able to get the girl on track. I’m relying on you, Victoria, to steer the girl in the right direction.”

“Of course.”

“Kate is too unstable – she wouldn’t make a good matriarch. But Allison – she has all the makings of an amazing Argent.” He heard his father take a sip from his drink, could picture in his mind exactly what he looked like. “What of the boyfriend? Will he be a distraction?”

“No – I’ll deal with him this evening.” Chris stepped back into the shadows before he could be discovered, taking out his cell to make the agreed-upon call.

* * *

Leaving Derek to clean up the body, Peter followed the plan and met up with Stiles at his Jeep at midnight.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Which part?”

“According to Chris, she intends to kill him. Are you sure this is something you can allow? This is your choice – the boy has done nothing to me, although I don’t particularly like the thought of such a naive asshole being the only werewolf in the territory.”

“I – I don’t actually know. I won’t know until the moment arrives. He and I were best friends for most of our lives but – I don’t recognise the Scott who hit me. I don’t understand why he’s changed so much but I do have to admit that he has changed.”

“Let’s go – we don’t want to miss her.” They tracked Scott down to the veterinary surgery, watching as he came out of the building and locked the door. Peter tensed, wondering if Stiles would be able to go through with this part of the plan. 

Before either of them could do anything, a dark SUV came barrelling in, smashing into Scott as he walked across the car park towards his bike. They watched as a woman who could only be Victoria Argent climbed out of the vehicle and dragged Scott’s unconscious body back to the vehicle, struggling to get him in but managing eventually. They both slid down until they weren’t visible as Victoria drove back out of the car park at a much more sedate pace, heading towards the warehouse district, stopping outside an isolated building. The entire area was ghostly quiet, no one else around. 

“She’s organised.”

“Peter – are you _admiring_ this woman for how well she’s plotted murder?”

“Why not? She’s efficient, well organised and appears to be dealing with at least one of our problems for us. What’s not to admire?”

“My life!” Parking where they could see Victoria, they watched and waited as she used a gurney to unload and push Scott’s unconscious form into the building. She seemed to have thought of everything, a white jacket covering her clothing and making her look slightly official. Checking that Victoria was still in the preparation stage, Peter turned and dragged Stiles across the front seat, ignoring the gearstick as he shoved his hand down the back of Stiles’ jeans and grabbed his ass. 

“Are you objecting to how your life is turning out?” He smiled into Stiles’ face as he slid his fingers up the crease of his ass beneath his boxers, moving between the cheeks so that he could tap at Stiles’ hole. “I know it’s been quick, but I thought your life had definitely taken an – upturn.” As he spoke the last word he pushed the one finger in, letting Stiles’ body adjust.

“No – I think I can honestly say this has got to be the – fuck, I cannot concentrate!”

“Pay attention – we need to know what she’s doing?”

“How the hell am I supposed to pay attention when you’re doing that?” Despite his words, Stiles arched his hips to keep his body within Peter’s grasp, knees trembling with the strain as Peter began to leisurely slip his finger back and forth. 

“Want to know what I’m going to do to you after this?”

“Dude – you get me any more turned on and I think my brains are gonna fall out of my ears!”

“Move – we need to move!” Despite the rush, Peter was gentle removing his finger, helping Stiles back into the driving seat. They scrambled out of the car and headed towards the warehouse she disappeared into after coming back out to lock the car. It was easy to follow where she had gone – there was only one room with a light on and they could hear a woman speaking. Creeping alongside the wall, they got as close as they could to the open doorway. Stiles risked peeking inside, taking in the results of Victoria’s preparations. 

“I would say that I’m sorry, Scott, but to be perfectly frank – I’m not. You weren’t good enough for Allison when you were human. As a mongrel, there is no better fate than death. You should consider this me doing you a favour – sooner or later, you would have turned on the people you loved and harmed them.” She patted Scott on the shoulder, adjusting one of the straps that were tying him down. “Just let the wolfs-bane do its job – this is one of the more humane methods that we use. And if you do manage to get out of this – which I sincerely doubt – just know that there is no cure for this type. Really, you were dead as soon as that alpha bit you – I’m just making sure you stay dead and far away from my daughter. Goodbye.”

Stiles pulled his head back quickly, obediently moving so that Peter was closer to the door. As Victoria emerged, Peter grabbed her by the arm and whipped her forward, smashing her face into the wall. Stunned, she still tried to fight back but Peter was eerily calm as he pushed on the back of her head to hold her still, leaning forward and biting her on the exposed part of her neck.

Mission accomplished, he stepped back, allowing her to slump to the ground where she looked up at the two of them in horror.

“I’m given to understand that there’s only one honourable way for a hunter to deal with such an event. Ironic, really, considering what you were trying to do to McCall. I would say it’s been a pleasure but to be honest, I need a drink to get the taste of you out of my mouth.”

“You – you monster!!!”

“Pot meet kettle.” Peter took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped at his mouth, removing all traces of Victoria’s blood. Leaving Peter to watch over Victoria, Stiles slipped into the room where Scott was bound to the table. A vaporizer had been set up on a nearby table, the wolfs-bane infused smoke emanating from it slowly filling the room. It was the moment of truth. Could he let Scott die? All he had to do was walk away, leave him here, and Victoria’s plan would come to fruition. 

There was no way of knowing whether she had told the truth about this strain of wolfs-bane having no cure, but he still had time to try. If he wanted to do. So what should he do?

* * *


	7. A Father-Son Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and his father have a talk about the future...
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought Gerard was the creepiest fucker ever! Also, as it's after 5 am, I should be asleep so this may be riddled with errors - if you spot any, gimme a shout in the comments and I'll clean it up when I'm more awake!
> 
> * * *

Once Victoria had gone, Gerard sat looking into the fire. He was filled with a deep sense of discontentment. 

His offspring had proven – disappointing. He had known of Chris’s sexual proclivities for a long time – way before he pushed the boy into marrying Victoria. He had hoped that it would get him straightened out and with the arrival of Allison, all had looked hopeful. But then Victoria had confided in him that she and Chris had reached an agreement: they would remain married until Allison was eighteen and then would quietly divorce. Chris agreed to be circumspect in any entanglements and Victoria retained her position within the hunting community. However, Victoria came to suspect that Chris might be becoming too attached to whoever his latest paramour was, and came to Gerard for advice. 

That had caused the decision to move permanently to Beacon Hills. There was enough land there to build a suitable compound and create a base of operations. The Argents were set to become the most prominent Hunter family in their community, with a lot of hunting activity under their remit. 

And then Kate began to fuck it all up. It had been bad enough what she had done to the Hales. There had been mutterings at the time that she had gone too far – after all, the code said was to hunt those who hunted humans. The Hales were seen as peaceful, even useful on occasion as they acted as a liaison between the supernatural community and the Hunters. It had taken a lot of work for Gerard to avoid Kate being censured for what she had done and he resolved to keep her under a tighter leash. Instead of understanding her error in being caught and accepting his leadership, she continually pushed against his rulings. Her latest escapade was the least of it all. Killing Laura Hale had been personal – he knew that. He didn’t _like_ how she had got the information on how to get to the Hales, but he appreciated the fact that sometimes one had to get their hands dirty. And he could well understand why she had felt the need to get rid of the thing that she had sullied herself with – appreciate it, even. But the kill the other night had been sloppy, out of character. No – he needed to take action against his daughter as well as his son, and it grieved him slightly. But at least he had Allison. With Victoria’s assistance, he could mould her into an appropriate Argent heir. Maybe he should marry Victoria – after a decent mourning period, of course. That way, he might still be able to get another heir. It was an agreeable prospect and he allowed himself a small smile as he considered how neatly everything could be tidied up.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Chris stepped into the study where his father was sat in front of the fire, sipping what looked like a glass of whisky.

“Christopher – I wondered where you had got to. Your wife prepared an excellent meal this evening. A shame you missed it.”

“Where’s Allison?”

“Allison? Why I believe she’s having a sleepover with the Martin girl. Not sure that’s an appropriate friendship but there’s plenty of time to discuss that in the morning.” Moving further into the room, Chris checked for weapons. He couldn’t see any but that didn’t mean Gerard wasn’t carrying – he was a paranoid old bastard and it wouldn’t surprise Chris if he was carrying a gun at least. 

“Would you like another drink?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Gerard held his glass out to Chris who took it and moved to the drinks cabinet, turning his back on his father. His shoulder blades itched while he did so – he should have realised when he started feeling this way whenever his father was around that the man was dangerous. The same feeling had saved his life on many a hunt. He took out the small bottle from his pocket. It felt heavy in his hands – such a small thing to do what he needed it to do. 

“Did you have a good evening?”

“We did, yes. Victoria and I had a discussion. We were thinking it might be time for Allison to begin her training. Before you object, she’s way past the age when Kate and Victoria began – it makes no sense to me that you’d leave her vulnerable to all of the monsters in the night that exist.”

“You don’t think that by opening her eyes to all of those monsters, you’re actually putting her in danger?” With a steady hand, Chris poured the contents of the bottle into his father’s glass, adding a generous measure of whisky and two cubes of ice. Just the way he had been taught to prepare it when he was young.

“No. Knowledge is power, Christopher – have I taught you nothing? Besides, you don’t think all of our preparations out there have given her an inkling that we’re a less than normal family? No – I think it’s definitely time to bring her into the fold. You’ll see – it’s for the best.” Pouring a small measure for himself, Chris walked back to his father and took the seat opposite him, passing him his glass. He waited until Gerard had taken a healthy slug before speaking again.

“My daughter will never be part of this life – not while I’m alive at least. And this compound? It’ll be dismantled before you’re even cold in your grave.”

His father looked up at him in shock, his cold eyes taking in everything about Chris with one sweep.

“You always were a snivelling weakling. Fine – we’ll do it without you. You can go overseas – go wherever the hell you want for all I care. But the Argent legacy will live on.”

“What legacy is that, father? A legacy of bigotry, murder and deceit?” Gerard coughed and took another drink, his cheeks becoming flushed. 

“Is that what you truly think? This family has been saving people from the monsters for generations! Your words show you have no understanding at all of what we have achieved! Why, even your sister – “

“Don’t bring up Kate to me. You and I both know she’s a sociopath – little more than a serial killer with a ready-made cause given to her, by you. Did you know, I wonder? What she did to the Hales? What she’s no doubt been doing all over the country? Did you turn a blind eye, tell yourself she was building the family name?” 

“Christopher – “ Another bout of coughing brought Gerard up short, and he looked from Chris to his glass and back again.

“I know about your heart condition. I admit, it surprised me because I never thought you had one.” Chris took a sip from his own glass. “Those tablets you take so assiduously throughout the day; the visits to specialists. I am who you trained me to be, father. I watch and I learn.”

“What have you done?”

“I’ve made sure that my daughter will never suffer at your hands the way that Kate and I did. I’ve made sure that peaceful, law-abiding citizens are safe from your xenophobic ideas. And I will make sure that the Argent legacy changes to something – more palatable.”

Chris watched with disinterested eyes as his father clutched at his chest, his breathing becoming laboured.

“In case you were wondering whether there was time to save yourself – even assuming you could get past me – you should know that I have given you an overdose of Belladonna. Easy to do. After all, many people use it as a remedy for all kinds of ailments these days. And of course, there will be little need for an autopsy – a grieving son, wanting to bury his father quickly is hardly unusual.”

“You bastard.”

“As I said, I am what you made me.” Gerard coughed again, struggling to catch his breath more and more. Chris sat back and watched as his father died a slow, agonising death.

* * *


	8. Deaton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to Deaton answers some questions..
> 
> * * *

”Why are we doing this again?”

“Because I need to be sure that I’m doing the right thing.” Peter gave a humph of disapproval, but nevertheless lifted Scott’s limp body into the Jeep. The journey to the surgery was completed in silence, broken only by Peter’s call to Derek to meet them there. Climbing out of the Jeep, he walked up to his nephew, pulling him into a hug and scenting him.

“Did you call him?”

“I did – although he wasn’t particularly interested in seeing me.”

“Well, I would imagine he’ll want to do what he can to help with that.” He gestured to the Jeep, where Stiles was trying to get Scott’s body out of the vehicle with little success.

“Jesus! I thought the plan was – “

“It was! But Stiles suffered a few – qualms. I suppose it bodes well for us – after all, would we want someone in the pack who would desert a friend?”

“Is he pack?” Peter looked Stiles over, considering the young man he had met only days before. In the short time, the young man had become rather – necessary. And he had proven as good as his word, helping them come up with their plan to rid Beacon Hills of the undesirables. It was both understandable and acceptable that he balked at this.

“He wants me to bite his father.”

“The Sheriff?” Derek tilted his head in thought. “I can understand that. He’s all that Stiles has left. He’s a good man – would make a good pack member, wolf or not.”

“Well, let’s get this over with and then we can see if we can save him. I can’t wait to see the back of this godforsaken hole of a town.”

“You don’t want to stay – rebuild?”

“Derek – what is there here for us? Do you really think the hunters won’t think we had something to do with all of the sudden deaths around here?”

“But – “

“I won’t force you to come with me. But I don’t see why Chris can’t come with us. Allison is nearly eighteen you say? Well – then she’s going to be off to college. You can stay if you wish – join me later. But I don’t see myself putting down roots here. Besides, the Calaveras clan know far too much about Beacon Hills for my liking – I would like to settle somewhere a little less _known_.”

“Is that where you were?”

“Yes. I was captured, held, tortured. Don’t look like that – there was no way either you or Laura could have known. And I made it out in one piece and I don’t think they’ll be coming after me anytime soon. I made an impression when I left – suffice it to say, they’ll have to do quite a bit of regrouping before they can come for me.”

“I’m sorry – for what you went through.” Peter turned to his nephew, seeing the strain that he was under. It couldn’t have been easy, losing his alpha for the second time, even worse as it was his sister. And although Peter had made good time getting to Beacon Hills, Derek had been on his own for a long time. He deserved some peace. 

“Thank you, Derek. Look – we’ll talk. Nothing is set in stone. Whatever happens with the Sheriff, they’ll need to be arrangements made – none of this will happen immediately. It looks as if our erstwhile Emissary has finally arrived – shall we get this over with?”

* * *

Deaton pulled up in the car park to the surgery, scowling when he saw that Derek had brought someone with him. He had hoped that he had made it plain to the younger Hale that he had no intention of helping him – that ship had long since sailed. Scott was more – malleable, in need of a benevolent fatherly influence and far more open to Deaton’s plans for Beacon Hills. The man with Derek looked vaguely familiar but Deaton shrugged it off – maybe Derek thought bringing in an outsider would make him rethink being things? If so, he was mistaken. Perhaps Deaton should have a word or two with Gerard Argent – the man was distasteful, but sometimes it was expedient to persuade someone else to do what he needed done. Scott wouldn’t do anything against Derek – he thought he was embittered and harmless. He glanced over at another vehicle in the car park, his scowl deepening when he saw that it was Stilinski’s disreputable Jeep. Now that boy was a pain in the ass – he asked questions he had no right to ask and refused to accept his place. 

Climbing out of his vehicle, Deaton rummaged in his pocket for the keys to the surgery – he didn’t want to have this conversation where anyone might overhear it. The surgery might be relatively separate from Beacon Hills – it had to be in order for supernatural happenings to be unnoticed – he didn’t want to risk anyone out late coming across anything untoward.

“Derek – is there a reason this couldn’t wait until morning?” Without waiting for a reply, Deaton unlocked the doors and made his way through to the offices and operating surgery out the back. He made sure to leave the mountain ash barrier open so that Derek could make his way through – the quicker he could get this over, the better. Turning on the lights, he set about making coffee as he waited for the young werewolf to come in.

“Are there types of mountain-ash that there is no cure for?”

“What?”

“I said – “

“There are some that are extremely rare but – why are you asking me this?”

“A simple answer will suffice.” The man Derek had brought with him answered and Alan turned his attention towards him. He looked familiar – dark hair, sharp blue eyes, well defined cheekbones beneath a heavy beard. If Alan hadn’t known about certain hunter activities in Mexico, he might have thought – 

“Peter?”

“I did wonder if you would recognise me.”

“How did you – “ Inwardly cursing at the revealing slip of the tongue, Deaton tried to figure out his next move. Perhaps Peter hadn’t caught it?

“Well that answers that question.” Peter leaned insolently against the wall, an unlit match hanging from his mouth. “I wondered how the Calaveras knew quite so much about me and thought they might have had an inside source.”

“What are you talking about, Uncle Peter?”

“The Calaveras knew where I was and what I was doing when they caught me. There were only a couple of people aware of my investigations down there – Talia and our Emissary. As I was doing certain things on Talia’s behalf, it made no sense for it to have been my sister. And, at the time, I had little reason to doubt the trustworthiness of our Emissary. But over time, I must admit, Occam’s razor and all that.”

“I wasn’t aware that you had managed to get away.” Edging sideways, Deaton tried to keep Peter clearly in his sights. 

“I believe the family are still trying to get themselves back onto the communication grid – I didn’t leave them a lot to work with when I left.” Peter pushed him away from the wall, stepping towards Deaton. He turned to Derek and said something slightly beneath his voice, something Deaton couldn’t hear. Derek gave Deaton a surprised look before nodding at Peter and leaving the room. 

“Peter – “

“I believe this is where I’m meant to ask you why, give you an opportunity to explain yourself, perhaps even attempt to redeem yourself.”

“You need to know – “

“But, you see, I find that I’ve watched more than enough spy movies etc. to know that I have little to no interest in your motivations. I don’t care why you did what you did – just that you chose to do it.” Alan cried out as Peter punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Dazed, Alan looked up into Peter’s face, a stark feeling of terror coming over him at the resolve on the other man’s face. “I don’t tend to go in for villainous monologues, but I will say this. There is a lot you could have done to me that I would have punished you for. But allowing my family to die to further your own ends – that only has one punishment. And I believe in an eye for an eye.” 

Alan tried to get to his feet but couldn’t move away from Peter in time, seeing the boot coming towards his face too late to get out of the way.

* * *


	9. Deaton

Peter struck the match and dropped it, watching with dispassionate eyes as the flames began to spread around the surgery floor. It was surprising just how many of the items within it were flammable. He had already gone through Deaton’s office, removing anything relating to the Hale family as well as a few artifacts and journals. He had a feeling Stiles might find them interesting reading, but if not they could always be destroyed afterwards. 

He had taken the precaution of barring the exit to the surgery so that even if Deaton woke up, he couldn’t escape through the back. He watched the flames beginning to lick at Deaton’s clothes, the material catching nicely. The man began to stir, the pain enough to wake him from unconsciousness. It was satisfying to see the terror on his face when he woke up enough to realise what was happening.

It suited Peter’s sense of righteousness that Alan was being punished this way. He deserved to know what it had felt like for the Hale family to die this way – to be coughing and desperate for air; for the flames to begin eating away at flesh; to be unable to escape – the realisation that the end was coming.

He closed the main door to the office, then carefully put down the mountain ash barrier before making his way to the exit. The car park was empty apart from McCall’s bike and they were far enough away from the main part of Beacon Hills that no one should notice the fire in time to do anything to prevent it consuming the entire building. 

He could hear Deaton’s cries for help, the sound of his suffering a slight balm to the pain Peter felt inside. His time with the Calaveras clan had not been easy and gaining a sense of closure was satisfying. He had known, in the abstract, that the Emissary had been at least partially responsible for his capture. Having it confirmed just meant that he felt complete justification in what he was doing. This was the right thing – the right thing for his Pack and for himself. 

For the first time in an age, Peter found himself looking forward to tomorrow. There was still tidying up to do: he needed to fulfil his promise to Stiles regarding his father; get Derek set up for the future. But for now he was content.

* * *


	10. The Sheriff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What did Stiles decide to do about Scott? And what happens with the Sheriff?
> 
> * * *

”We need a doctor!” Chris watched through disinterested eyes as the medical staff responded to the urgent cry with practised speed, swirling the coffee around in his styrofoam cup. 

“What do we have?”

“My friend – I found him passed out at home! I don’t know what he’s taken – but he didn’t respond when I tried to wake him and – “

“Okay, Stiles – we’ll take it from here! Someone page Melissa and tell her that her son has been brought in!” He looked up when he recognised the name, seeing Derek and Stiles standing in the waiting room watching as a gurney was pushed away. Getting to his feet, he walked over, letting his hand drop onto Derek’s shoulder.

“What happened?” Stiles jumped, not having been aware of Chris’s approach, but he felt Derek turn into his embrace.

“We don’t know – we found Scott passed out and brought him in.” Derek tilted his head towards the entrance and Chris followed him outside of the building.

“I thought the plan was – “

“Stiles couldn’t go through with it. I don’t think it’s going to make any difference – I can feel McCall’s wolf – _fading_.” Giving in to is instincts, Chris pulled Derek into his embrace, gratified when the younger man didn’t try to pull away. 

“Did everything else – “

“Yeah – everything else went as planned. Peter – Peter’s dealing with Deaton.” Chris wondered whether or not he should tell Derek what he had found in his father’s study – the regular meetings the former Emissary had held with the older Argent detailing plans for Beacon Hills. When Derek dropped his head onto Chris’s shoulder, he decided all of that could wait – in the meantime, he would make the most of having him close by, knowing that he was safe.

* * *

”You know, the bite may not cure him.” Peter watched as Stiles jumped slightly at hearing his voice, his grip on his father’s hand tightening.

“I know.”

“It depends on how much damage the bullet did.”

“I know.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me about Deaton?”

“Why? I knew what the plan was – I helped make the plan if you recall.”

“Stiles – “

“Is this where you tell me that you’re leaving?”

“What?”

“Well, you did what you set out to do. You got revenge on the people who killed your family. What’s to keep you here any longer?” Peter finally noticed that Stiles was refusing to look at him, his attention remaining on his father. 

“Is that what you think? Or what you want?”

“Does it matter what I want?”

“Tell me anyway.”

“I want – my Dad to be okay. I want Scott to go back to being my buddy instead of an alpha asshole. I want – I want to be free of Beacon Hills and all of it’s shit.”

“Is that all?”

“Well, the main thing I want, I don’t think I can have.” Peter stepped forward out of the shadows, coming to stand behind Stiles. He trailed his fingertips down the nape of Stiles’ neck, bending at the waist to lay a gentle kiss where the short hairs prickled his skin. 

“You can have anything you want.”

* * *

The bite was almost anticlimactic. Stiles knew that his experience of it wasn’t the norm – Scott had been attacked, the bite almost incidental. When Peter bit his Dad, it was deliberate, the actual bite placed on his side beneath the hospital gown. His father didn’t stir when they cleaned up the small amount of blood and settled him back into his bed. Peter moved into the shadows once again, seeming to blend in with them so when a nurse came to do one of the regular checks on Stiles’ Dad, they barely noticed him. 

“Stiles – I thought you should know. Scott has been placed into one of the side wards. Is there anything at all you can tell us about what he may have taken?”

“No, sorry. Is Melissa okay?”

“She’s bearing up – it might be nice if you went and checked in on her once you’ve spent some time with your Dad.”

“I will. I’m sorry I can’t be more help – Scott and I haven’t spent much time together lately so – “

“No one is expecting you to know everything, Stiles. Melissa has said that recently Scott has been – changing. It’s just such a shame – “ Making some notes on his Dad’s chart, the nurse looked up at him and smiled. “You know, he’s showing an improvement.”

“He is?”

“Yes – yes he is. I may have to call one of the consultants – this is good, Stiles. As you know, the coma is no longer medically induced and we were beginning to worry that he might not come out of it. But – this is looking good.” She smiled nicely at him before she left.

“What does that mean?”

“I can feel it – the pack bond. The bite took.” Stiles hadn’t even realised how tense he was until he heard Peter say those words, a wave of emotion crashing over him. He put his head down onto the bed next to his father and wept. He felt Peter’s arms around him, bracing him against the storm of emotions and he let himself relax for the first time since his father had been shot. He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but woke up to the sound of his father’s voice.

” – if I’m going to get all hairy once a month, then I can’t think of a better reason. You better be good to my boy, Hale, or Alpha or not I’ll have your hide.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less. And don’t worry about Stiles – I will be good to him.”

“Is it over? This – obsession – with revenge? Because if you’re going to drag him into a war – “

“I’ve done everything I set out to do. I admit, I feel a little – adrift. For so long I’ve been running on this need for vengeance. But that’s over with.”

“Will they be able to track any of it back to you?”

“No. The fire at the surgery will be put down as a defective appliance – unfortunately the good Doctor wasn’t paying attention and was caught unawares. He died in the fire – a gruesome death, to be sure, but it will be ruled an accident.”

“And the others?”

“What others? I haven’t laid a finger on anyone else in Beacon Hills.”

“I’m not as naive as my son may think I am.”

“As far as I’m aware, Gerard Argent suffered from a heart condition; Victoria Argent – well, her fate lies in her own hands; McCall appears to have taken an overdose of something – nothing to do with me.”

“Damn, you are Machiavellian.”

“I rather think that your son shares the same tendencies.”

“Yeah – he gets that from his mother. Claudia could be very convincing in getting her own way without getting her hands dirty. Will you be staying in Beacon Hills?”

“Probably. I have a new beta to consider and my nephew needs some time in a familiar environment. However, I do tend to travel quite a lot and would like to think that I might take a companion the next time I leave. What do you think, Stiles – would you be up to travelling with me?”

Realising that Peter knew he was awake, Stiles didn’t even pretend to have missed the conversation.

“Dad, I – “

“It appears I have you to thank for my recovery. Your friend has been filling me in on the lesser known facts of Beacon Hills – “

“I – “

“You did good, son. Thank you.” The Sheriff rested his hand against Stiles’ cheek and he grabbed onto it, needing the reassurance of knowing his father was back and well. “I think a bit of travel might be good for you – broaden your horizons. Beacon Hills was never going to hold a man of your talents for long, Stiles.”

“But, you’ve barely recovered – “

“We’re not leaving straight away. As I was saying to your father – there will be a settling period, some training required. And I need to make sure Derek will be okay taking care of the territory.”

“So – you’re staying?” Stiles barely allowed himself to hope that all of this meant what he thought it did. That he could have his Dad back _and_ a relationship with Peter as well. Not so long ago, his whole life had been a complete shit-show, with disappointment and pain everywhere he turned. Now – the possibilities seemed endless. There would no doubt be the fallout from hunters, hopefully mitigated by Chris; his father would have to come up with a plausible way of explaining his miraculous recovery; who knew if Scott would ever come out of whatever state Victoria had left him in. 

“Why would I go anywhere else when everything I could want is right here?”

* * *


	11. An End at the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back where they started...
> 
> * * *

The music wasn’t to his taste, but the view was. He sat at the bar, sipping at his Hennessey whisky, watching the variety of young men gyrating on the dance-floor. His gaze was caught by the sight of his nephew enjoying himself torturing Chris on the dance-floor. Derek moved with a fluid, animal grace, rubbing himself against Chris who seemed completely besotted and entranced.

They deserved this night out. Allison had not reacted well to all of the changes in her life: the loss of her mother and grandfather at the same time; her boyfriend in a vegetative coma; the tearing down of the Argent complex; her father being involved with a young man not much older than she was herself. 

The decision to keep her in the dark about the supernatural seemed – wise. Peter didn’t think she would react well to it at all – in fact, she shared a few too many traits with her aunt and mother for Peter to consider her as anything other than a potential threat. He had advised Derek to keep an eye on her and report if there was anything of concern, and he knew that his nephew would be vigilant. 

He allowed his eyes to wander the crowd until he found what he was looking for. Dressed in a tight white tank and black jeans, Stiles was lost in the music. It reminded Peter quite sharply of when they had first met: the club was the same, the atmosphere charged. The main difference? Peter had discovered that by doing the right thing by his Pack, he had made a whole new life for himself. He had a Pack with Derek and the Sheriff. The new betas that had come over the course of the year: Isaac, Erica, Boyd. The Hale house had been rebuilt and the territory was safe once again. And of course, he had a truce with the Argent family that was sealed by marriage. 

The song changed to ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails, and draining his glass Peter went to claim what was his.

He slid in behind Stiles, easily cutting out the other men attempting to attract the young man’s attention. He put his mouth next to Stiles’ ear, whispering the chorus in his ear:

> I want to fuck you like an animal  
> I want to feel you from the inside  
> I want to fuck you like an animal  
> My whole existence is flawed  
> You get me closer to God.

Stiles turned in his arms, eyes darkened with passion as he wrapped his arms around Peter’s neck. Accepting the invitation, Peter took his mouth, rubbing their tongues together as he grabbed Stiles’ ass. They continued dancing if it could be called that, grinding to the heavy, pounding beat. 

“Tell Chris that we’re leaving.”

“But what if I wanted to dance a little longer?” Stiles gave him a fake pout, the hand sliding down the front of Peter’s pants to squeeze his dick letting him know that Stiles was more than ready to leave.

“Too bad. For once, I’m doing the right thing for me. The other pups have gone out, your father is working – the den is empty and I’m gonna fuck you all night long.”

“I’ll meet you at the front door.”

With a smirk, Peter watched briefly as Stiles hurried to let Derek and Chris know their plans before turning and heading for the door.

* * *

**fin**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in this - I normally try to post daily but have been plagued with vertigo and a migraine. Hopefully this hasn't been too rushed - I did a lot of writing in the middle of the night as light still hurts my eyes.
> 
> Thanks to the usual suspects - I appreciate each and every one of your comments, and in the middle of the night it's so lovely to know that people out there like what I'm churning out!
> 
> I'm gonna take my meds and crash!
> 
> Stay safe, stay sane and stay kind  
> Skar  
> x
> 
> * * *

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again - it's another 5+1 and a WiP. No idea how long or short it's going to be, but hopefully the Muse will play nice!
> 
> Comments are love  
> Skar  
> x
> 
> * * *


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